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INTERACTIVE ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTION:
AN IPAD APPLICATION
by
Michael C. Meru
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
(CRANIO-FACIAL BIOLOGY)
May 2012
Copyright 2012 Michael C. Meru

Objectives: Current methods of orthodontic oral hygiene instruction include face-to-face presentations, printed materials, videos, and other technologies. In an orthodontic setting where the majority of patients are in their adolescence, these methods tend to bore them and it is hard to keep their attention for a sufficient amount of time to properly instill good oral hygiene techniques and principles. This project seeks to use methods and technologies familiar and liked by them in order to have a more lasting effect on their oral hygiene practices and behavior. ❧ Purpose/hypothesis: To create a novel method to teach orthodontic oral hygiene instructions using methods familiar and liked by adolescents, with the goal of aiding them in the internalization of the principles through active participation such that it results in better hygiene practices by these patients. ❧ Procedures/Data/Observations: An iPad application was created using a team of dentists, designers and computer programmers. Surveys and brainstorming sessions done with experts in the field revealed which principles to be essential, as well as the types of modules to place into the application. ❧ Conclusions/Applications: The application created is the first of its kind in the world and teaches adolescents in an interactive manner how to better care for their teeth. A study on the efficacy of the iPad application will be performed in the future.

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INTERACTIVE ORAL HYGIENE INSTRUCTION:
AN IPAD APPLICATION
by
Michael C. Meru
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
(CRANIO-FACIAL BIOLOGY)
May 2012
Copyright 2012 Michael C. Meru